Microsoft thanks IE8 testers with a workmate toolkit

Microsoft has sent out an e-mail to its IE8 testers offering them a Workmate …

"It's not a man purse. It's a satchel... Indiana Jones has one." Forgive me for quoting The Hangover, but that's the first thing that popped into my head when I saw what Microsoft was giving its IE8 testers as a token of appreciation. Okay, so it's not exactly a man purse or a satchel: apparently it's a "workmate toolkit." Yeah, that's not much better I guess. Internet Explorer 8 was released in March, but only now is Microsoft getting around to thanking its testers with more than just a request for more bug reports and suggestions for IE9. The software giant is known for sending out various types of gifts after some of its beta programs, but I've yet to see something as bizarre as this given away. Here's a quote from the e-mail sent out to testers last night:

Thank you for your hard work during the Internet Explorer 8 Technical Beta Program. Your dedication to making this product the best it can be is truly amazing. We would like to personally thank you by sending you a small token of our appreciation. We will be sending you an Internet Explorer 8 Workmate Toolkits (see attached images). If you do not want this, then simply respond to this mail with "Thanks, but No Thanks."

The e-mail also asks the recipients to update their address on Microsoft Connect (Your Profile => My Home Address => Continue) by Friday June 19, 2009. You've got till the end of the of the work week, so do it now before you forget!

Microsoft has previously given notebook bags, webcams, and even copies of Vista Ultimate to its various beta testers, but never have I seen something that doesn't seem to be directly related to the product that was being tested. I guess you can use the tools for building a new computer; though I still don't see how that is relevant to IE8. What do you think would have been a more logical gift for IE8 testers?

14 Reader Comments

That's actually a pretty cool little thing, makes me wish I had tested IE8 now lol. I picked up something vaguely similar to this stamped with an ASP.NET logo at some point but forget what it was from, got a little usb thumbdrive at one point too. Sometimes it's not software related stuff they give out.

Maybe it doesn't seem logical in a direct IE 8 manner. It isn't like it was an operating system beta where the participants get a free copy of the OS when the beta is over, something with some intrinsic value that saved the participants some money. It was IE 8 and was given away to the world for free. Its actually a very thoughtful gift in the sense that the testers weren't completly forgotten, and it is a useful little tool kit. Its better to say thank you with something then nothing at all.

Why was this article even written? It seems like there was nothing else to write about so someone thought "hey, lets dig up something on Microsoft to take another stab at them and make them look bad." You guys get paid by Apple or something?

Speaking of Apple, what do they give their beta testers as a way of thanking them? (seriously, do they give anything? I don't know, so its a serious question.)

What was the last thing that Ars gave away to its members just for visiting the site that they didn't have to compete for in some way?

As much as I kind of agree that the tone of this article was a little off-putting (I would really dig one of those toolkits, and given the range of gifts you mentioned as having been given, this seems a nice way to not get stale) I always find it funny when people accuse Emil of being an Apple shill.